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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Information on the Monday Action at DFAIT re releasing theFTAA text




This email contains information gathered from a number of people about the action taking place at Department of Foreign Affiars and International Trade this Monday. 
Please forward this along to other listserves and people who you 
think may be interested. 

Included in this email: 

1)  The theme of the action and basic logistics 
2)  Things to know for all participants not wanting to risk arrest 
3)  How to find out more information. 
4) What you need to know as a person/group who may be interested in direct 
action, and thus risking arrest. 



1)  Theme of the Action and Basic Logistics 




We have a great mystery to solve!! 
What is the secret behind the FTAA text? 
It's up to you and scooby doo to find out! 

Come one and all - bring family and friends down  and be a witness or direct 
participant in the people's "Search and Seizure" Demonstration and Direct 
Action that is happening at Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade (DFAIT) 
referred to as A2 - for April 2nd 
Monday morning from 7 am onwards at 125 Sussex 
- right next to the old Ottawa City Hall 


There is a great mystery to be solved - and we need all the sherlocks, and 
scooby doos out there to solve it!  Bring your inspector gadget costumes, 
your pink panther outfits, your spy goggles, your magnum PI colourful print 
shirts, your binoculars, your sleuthy investigative pad and paper to jot 
notes down.  Bring kids down and teach them a new game of Hide and Seek with the FTAA text .  Bring down cardboard cutouts of blue paw prints to put all over the area and play a game of Blues Clues.  This is a creative display to demonstrate our concerns about government secrecy and desire for transparency and input from civil society. 

Ways to express creatively: 
- Dress up as your favourite book, film, or tv detective character - or 
create a sleuthy character of your own! 
- Bring props, signs, banners, musical instruments, songs. 
- Bring your art down showing what you want your community/world to look 
like and tape it up around the area. 
- Bring yarn to weave together with others. 
- Bring breakfast or lunch and eat with others. 
- Bring questions and information and share with others. 
- Wear a scarf to celebrate the repeal of the scarf law in St. Foy, and 
protest the law that still exists in Quebec City (you can find out more 
information about this on the main ottawa website - www.flora.org/ftaa) 
- Come up with your own way to express creatively, even 
if different from the theme, and above all else, 
have some fun with it.  This is a time for community celebration as much as 
it is for demonstrating concern. 

Note - definitely dress warm and bring boots - we may 
be standing on some snow. 

Some participants are meeting at parliament hill to march 
down to DFAIT before 7am.  Otherwise, simply meet at 
125 Sussex. 

If you or others are coming from out of town, and need housing, please 
contact Pam Fitzgerald.  The best way to do this is by email, 
pamfitz@cyberus.ca or by go to the ottawa organizing website - 
www.flora.org/ftaa.  Only if you do not have computer access, you can reach her at 730-4976. 




2)  Things to know for all participants not wanting to risk arrest 




The action is taking place throughout the morning, 
and possibly the day, starting at 7 am.  Creative demonstrations will be 
occuring  before, and during, attempts to enter the building to "search for 
and rescue" the text. 
There will be a designated spot, in consultation with the police, for people 
who are interested in coming down with their families and friends to add 
their presence and concern about the secrecy of this text, without risking 
any kind of arrest. 
Even while the search and rescue operation is happening, there will be safe 
space for demonstrators.  Stay in those areas.  If police are asking people 
to move, then follow instructions.   While there can never be a 100% 
guarantee, many steps have been taken to ensure a smooth action.  This 
includes designing the action as a strictly non-violent demonstration, 
providing training for participants in non-violent direct action, 
negotiating with police for safe spaces for demonstrators, and leafleting at 
DFAIT to help those who work at DFAIT understand the motivation for the 
action. 

There are many roles that can be taken on that do not mean risking arrest. 
If you are interested in legal support, peer support, food support or other 
ways of helping, please check into St. Paul's University (223 Main St.) on 
Saturday to find out ways to plug in and volunteer in these important
roles.




3) How do i get more information? 




Any information that is available will be posted on the local 
ftaa website - www.flora.org/ftaa.  Keep an eye on this for possible updates 
of this information, right up to when you leave your door bright and early 
on Monday morning!  This website also has great links and information about 
FTAA organizing. 

There will be information kits with lots more specifics re. the direct 
action coming out this Saturday at St. Paul's University (223 Main St.) 

One place to get more information on the ultimatum that set this action 
going is the SalAMI website www.alternatives.ca/salami 
You can then hit the "Strategy paper" section to see background info. 

Let's recognize that one of the main issues we are dealing with on Monday is the access to information issue. There are other campaigns that people can plug into to address this issue in a more sustained, long-term way.
Let's ensure that our efforts are not simply around one action
but work to ensure access to every government document to every Canadian in a timely fashion all of the time!  
One locally-based group to contact for ongoing campaigns is Democracy Watch phone # - 241-5179 and/or see their website: www.dwatch.ca  
One project they are working on in coalition is the Open Government Canada project aiming to increase access to information.  








4) What you need to know as a person/group who may be interested in direct action. 




If you are an individual, try to find others who 
would work as a group with you.  Otherwise, 
come to the training on Saturday, and there will be 
opportunity for people to hook up there. 

As an individual or a group, you should want consider 
the following: 

- The group SalAMI, who has called this action, has specific guidelines 
for non-violent direct action participation that groups/people who are 
wishing to take part in the action are expected to work within for this 
action. 
These guidelines will be handed out in an info kit on Saturday, or can be 
found at the above mentioned site.  They include no property damage. 

- each person/group wanting to do direct action is expected to 
have taken some non-violent direct action training.  There are 
trainings that will be given this weekend if you have 
not already taken some (info below)  If only some of the 
people in your affinity group have been trained, it is expected that 
this information would be passed along to the whole group. 

- it is expected that all groups/persons wanting to do direct action 
on April 2nd take part in the action-specific training that is happening 
on April 1st in the evening.  (info below) 

- It is expected that every affinity group be represented at 
two spokescouncil meetings, one on Saturday night (5-8pm) and one Sunday 
night (6-11).  It is at these meetings that final decisions will be made 
regarding the action.  Information on where these meetings will take place 
will be part of the information kits given out on Saturday. 

- There is a legal support team that is working to create a structure that 
can support those who are risking arrest, focused currently on providing 
jail support and action support.  If folks are arrested, more work will need 
to be done following the action re. legal supports. 
There are more volunteers needed for the legal support team.  If you are 
interested, please seek this group out at St. Paul's on the weekend. 


NON-VIOLENT DIRECT ACTION TRAINING 
Saturday March 31st 
Full day: Saturday 10 - 4 
223 Main St. St. Paul's University - across from the Green Door restaurant 
Please register. (Info below) 

SPOKESCOUNCIL MEETING ON A2 ACTION 
Saturday March 31st, 
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
at St-Paul's University, 223 Main in Ottawa. 
Please register. 

SPOKESCOUNCIL MEETING ON QUEBEC CITY ACTIONS 
Saturday March 31st, 
from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 
at St-Paul's University, 223 Main in Ottawa. 
This is not required for people doing direct action at DFAIT, 
but more for interest. 

ACTION-SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR ALL AFFINITY GROUPS 
Sunday April 1st From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (location to be confirmed). 
with George Lakey. 
Affinity groups have to participate in this meeting to join the non-violent 
direct action, April 2nd 
Please register. 

AFFINITY GROUP DECISIONS ON ROLES FOR AT THE ACTION 
Sunday, April 1st from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.  (location to be confirmed). 
Affinity groups have to participate in this meeting to join the non-violent 
direct action, April 2nd 
Please register. 

TO REGISTER: 

Please contact SalAMI at (514)524-8088 or by email salami@colba.net 
or show up at St. Paul's University to register for the weekend activities 
Saturday morning. 

SalAMI would like people to register for the following so 
that numbers will be known to arrange facilitators/rooms etc. 

For civil disobedience training: 
- Saturday the 31th: 10 AM to 4 PM 
- Sunday the 1st: during the day, for people who wonˆt be at the 
parliament (this will only take place if there are enough numbers to warrant 
it.) 

For spokescouncil meetings: 
- Confirm you will be there for spokescouncil meeting on Saturday the 
31st and training/spokescouncil on Sunday evening. 



That's it for now. 
See you on Monday! 
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